SHAKOPEE &045; According to Albert Lea girls’ soccer coach Paul Marka, the final four minutes of the Tigers’ game at Shakopee Tuesday night were the most exciting of the season.

They were also the most crucial.

The Tigers, playing as if their season depended on it &045; which it did &045; pressured the Shakopee goal to the end before falling 2-1 in a Section 2A semifinal game.

&uot;We played hard, we played tough,&uot; said Marka. &uot;We just came out on the short end of it.&uot;

The loss marked the end of the season for the third-seeded Tigers.

Shakopee, seeded second, led 1-0 at halftime and took a 2-0 lead at the 18-minute mark of the second half.

The Tigers scored on a penalty kick by Stacie Armstrong with four minutes left in regulation.

From that point, the Tigers did everything possible to tie it.

&uot;We just kept putting the pressure on, taking tough shots,&uot; said Marka. &uot;They just held it out of the net. It was a very even game, a very exciting game. We were more aggressive in the second half, and in the first 20 minutes of the first half we were more aggressive than them.&uot;

It was also physical.

&uot;Their team is known for physical play, and we were able to play physical right with them,&uot; said Marka.

Shakopee outshot the Tigers 16-13.

Marka completed his first season as the Tigers’ head coach. Seven seniors graduate: Brittany Arendt, Katie Dooley, Amy Marka, Brianne Plantage, Crystal Rentz, Emily Staloch and Katie Stenseth.

(Contact Jim Lutgens at sports@albertleatribune.com or 379-3437.)